“The most critical role for K-12 educators…will be to equip young people with the curiosity and passion to be lifelong learners who feel ownership over their education.”

This quote is taken from my new favourite article, by Thomas L. Friedman, entitled, “After the pandemic, a revolution in education and work awaits” as originally published in The New York Times (October 2020). You can read the article here or here.

Years ago, a student in the Junior School asked me if I “owned” TCS. Last week, at the Junior School morning student drop-off, I was asked if I was the “big boss.” My answer to this and similar questions usually involves a collection of responses that include, but are not limited to: “No. I have 600 kid bosses and 200 colleagues to help me”; “I feel more like a small cheese than a big boss”; or “Bruce Springsteen is the boss; I’m just a fan.”

But my favourite response is a quote that I read some time ago, in which a leader in a large organization (unfortunately, I can’t remember who?) stated: “I don’t run this place; I help lead it.” It is perhaps the best explanation for why I so frequently speak about Canadian geese.

For the benefit of new parents, let me explain.

Canadian geese, as you probably are aware, fly in a “V” formation. But do you know why? There are actually lots of hypotheses to describe their flying pattern. These include:

Last week, I blogged about the idea of approaching a new school year as a “clean slate.” This week, I pose the following question to fellow parents: What would you do differently if you were given a re-start to high school? Knowing what you know now, what would you tell your 15-year-old self?

I’ll go first! I wish I was nicer to kids who were not in my friend group. I was too entrenched and comfortable with my immediate friend group. I played a lot of sports and tended to “hang out” with the same group of friends. Not only did I not reach out to others, it would have been difficult for kids to “reach in.” I was not intentionally exclusive, but nor was I intentionally inclusive either. I am not proud of this part of my younger self.

Do you have a favourite song?

I have a new favourite. Actually, it’s an old one.

It resonated with me most recently because of the prospect of summer, the acceleration of vaccines for people of all ages, and the easing of pandemic restrictions here in Canada. A world on the mend; a school looking forward to better times.

It’s written by George Harrison of The Beatles: Here Comes the Sun. You, too, might want to listen to it again. Lyrics like “It’s been a long cold lonely winter…it seems like years since it’s been here” lament the loss of sun and sunny days. But then, the emergence of the bright days sees “the smiles returning to the faces.”

Gosh, I think we can all relate. And what could be better than moving toward the end of the long lonely COVID-19 “winter” and the prospect of smiles returning to kids’ faces. Everyone’s faces…

Here comes the sun do, do, do, do
Here comes the sun
And I say it’s all right…